| Asthma | Emphysema | Chronic Bronchitis | Pneumonia |
| Pathophysiology | The lungs are affected, specifically, affecting the bronchial tree. The physiological mechanism is damaged by inflammation processes, which decrease the radius of the airway. | Damage of lung airspaces following the destruction of the walls. Influences the air spaces located away from the terminal bronchiole | Hypersecretion of mucus caused by goblet cells. This leads to airflow impediment due to obstruction to airways | The disturbance of the balance between organisms in the respiratory tract and defense mechanisms |
| Etiology/Population at Risk | Can be related to smoking, is passed on by many genes and has ties to the IgE serum level. The disease is rather common among males up to 20 years of age. | Smoking, environmental pollution, lung infection. Smokers and people born with weight below average are at risk | Active and passive smoking, pollution, frequent exposure to respiratory infections. Common among COPD patients (74% cases) | Caused by bacteria, viruses, fungal infections
Common among adults, especially those in economically weak locations |
| Clinical Manifestations including Laboratory data | Assess a patient’s expiratory airflow limitation, document reversible obstruction and exclude any chances of laboratory diagnosis. Spirometry can be performed to review the severity of obstruction. It is required to check the number for the FEV1/FVC ratio | Pulmonary function testing (spirometry), post-bronchodilator testing, chest X-ray (in severe cases). The stages depend on the severity of airflow limitation (from average with FEV1 above or equal to 80% to rather severe with FEV1 below 30%) | Chest X-ray, review of the sputum, tests of pulmonary function and oxygen saturation | Chest x-ray, blood and sputum culture tests, counts of blood and lymphocites, CT scans |
| Typical Nursing Diagnosis | Can be identified by wheezing, cough and shortness of breath. The stage is identified depending on the frequency of symptoms | Nonspecific symptoms, which is why it may be mistaken for bronchiestasis or tuberculosis | Can be identified by coughing for longer than 3 months within 2 years and chest/abdominal pain | Fever with chills, loss of appetite, cough with/without sputum |
| Interventions | Use of beta-agonists (short/long-term, muscarinic) and glucocorticoids (inhaled and systemic) | Use of bronchodilators, inhaled therapy, supplemental oxygen and pulmonary rehabilitation | Medication, such as: bronchodilators, glucocorticoids, antibiotics and phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitors | Antibiotics, empiric therapy with the help of resistant patterns |